President Lee: "Light Disciplinary Action for Police Case Fabrication Unacceptable... Dismissal Should Be Considered"

After Prosecution Reform, "Police Face Much Greater Responsibility"
Calls for Severe Punishment for Evidence Concealment and Fabrication
Orders to Strengthen Internal Audit Independence and External Oversight

President Lee Jae-myung stated on the 29th that “light disciplinary actions are unacceptable” in response to cases of police fabricating cases or concealing evidence, emphasizing the need for strong disciplinary measures, including dismissal. He explained that as police investigative authority and responsibility for case handling increase following the reorganization of the investigation system due to prosecution reform, it is necessary to strengthen the level of accountability, as well as the audit and oversight measures against misconduct.

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House on the 29th. September 29, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

At the Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House on this day, President Lee addressed the issue of police reform and said, “All prosecutorial investigative authority has now been lifted, and investigations are to be conducted by the Serious Crime Investigation Office, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, and the police. Many citizens are concerned that police might mishandle cases or that there will be issues with victim relief in the process.”

He specifically brought up recent media reports concerning police misconduct and disciplinary actions related to case handling. President Lee noted, “There have been reports that police officers who fabricated cases received only light disciplinary action,” and pointed out, “From the perspective of citizens, when someone suffers unfair harm, and the case is falsified so that the victim cannot receive relief—or in some cases, the perpetrator and victim are reversed—such things can become lifelong grievances.”

He then expressed the need to significantly increase the level of disciplinary action. President Lee said, “If evidence is concealed or fabricated, or if police, who will soon have the final decision authority over investigations, manipulate cases, I believe that such officers should not be allowed to continue working as police officers, or should be dismissed altogether; light disciplinary action simply makes no sense.” He added, “It is inappropriate to maintain traditional standards of disciplinary severity, accountability, or reprimand at previous levels.”

President Lee also stressed that even just one of the many cases processed routinely by police can dramatically affect the life of the person involved. Concerning the fabrication of cases, he said, “From the police’s perspective, they may handle thousands of cases per year and might let something slide because they know the person, but from the victim’s perspective, this is something that may only happen once in a lifetime. It is truly unacceptable.” He went on, “By ensuring clear accountability, I believe such incidents will decrease and the organizational culture can be improved,” and asked the police for countermeasures.

In response, Kim Jongcheol, the Acting Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, said that the police leadership is also aware of the public’s concern over police case fabrication and concealment. Kim explained, “In cases involving bribery related to incidents, or when major investigative or crackdown information is leaked—misconduct that can affect the essence of the case—we basically adhere to the principle of follow-up investigations.” He further stated regarding disciplinary action, “Our foundational principle is exclusionary discipline,” and clarified that they have revised relevant rules so that personnel implicated in misconduct related to their work can be removed from key posts such as investigative, audit departments, and chief positions at local police stations.

After hearing the police report, President Lee also raised the issue of the independence of internal audits. He said, “It is very important to strengthen the audit function and also its independence,” and pointed out, “We cannot allow a situation where everyone is only protecting their own.” In particular, he stressed the need for stronger oversight than before, given the expansion of the police’s authority to close investigations.

President Lee explained, “In fact, during the investigative process, external oversight has become difficult, and police now have the authority to conclude investigations on their own. This means the responsibility is much greater.” He added, “It is crucial to establish an internal system to ensure investigations are fair and objective, and a mechanism to thoroughly correct any errors. We must strengthen and independently operate the internal audit function.”

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House on the 29th. 2026.9.29 Photo by Yonhap News

In response, Han Sung-sook, the Prime Minister, reported that, as part of the ongoing police reform discussions, separate oversight and audit mechanisms are being prepared. Prime Minister Han mentioned plans to introduce a new audit and investigative body addressing police investigations and human rights issues within the National Police Commission under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stating, “We are working on strengthening systems so that relevant ministries can check and independently oversee through a more substantive organization.”

President Lee urged, “Police reform is a major concern for the public, and as this is a sweeping transformation of the system, there is considerable anxiety about potential side effects,” and added, “We must ensure the system is properly organized and managed so citizens have nothing to worry about.” Prime Minister Han replied, “We will proceed without delay.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.